New batch of medical doctors charged to give high quality service
GINA, GUYANA, Thursday, October 13, 2016
Eighty doctors who recently graduated from scholarship programmes in Cuba and China are undergoing two days of training organized by the Ministry of Public Health. The training aims to equip the doctors with knowledge of the programmes supported by the ministry.
Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton at the opening of the training session
At the end of the training, the doctors are expected to commence work at hospitals within the regions where they reside. This will be for a period of eighteen months.
Thereafter the practicing Government Medical Officers (GMOs) will be rotated to work in different environments such as health centres and health post throughout Guyana, including those in hinterland regions.
Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, who addressed the doctors at the start of the training said, “during the next two days you will learn of the many programs being undertaken within the various departments of the ministry and as a consequence you will have a very lucid understanding of the very high expectations required of each of you.”
Minister within the Ministry of Public Health Dr. Karen Cummings at the opening of the training session
The minister reminded the doctors that they are no longer in a classroom setting and are expected to showcase the knowledge and skills acquired while studying for the past six years, striving to continually revive and brighten their areas and place of work.
Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, reminded the doctors that he too studied in Cuba. He charged them to provide service of an exceptional quality.
“Being in the medical fraternity, studying in the same country, should pit us to a good relationship in our efforts to develop quality healthcare to the Guyanese nation and to continue and increase that quality,” Norton said, adding that, “For too long we’ve been looking to the United States of America for all the breakthroughs in pharmaceuticals and different therapies, you know much more than I do what the embargo has done to Cuba yet they are now producing vaccines and anti-cancerous medications that the world is clamouring for so consider yourself fortunate to be a graduate from that country, having said that you are put in a position where you have got very high standards to maintain.”
Over the last ten years, Cuba has trained more than 700 Guyanese Doctors who return to serve in the health sector for a period of five years. Many move on to specialize in areas such as obstetrics, pediatrics, dentistry, ophthalmology and orthopedics.
By: Delicia Haynes